Review: Black Country Communion

I woke up this morning with a part of a song stuck in my head. I had listened to Black Country Communion’s debut CD three times yesterday. Before the CD arrived in my mailbox Friday, I had heard two songs: One Last Soul was released as a single and The Great Divide was released as a video. It is the latter song I can’t shake today. Specifically, it is the part of the song when the band comes out of the chorus: they have built up to a great crescendo, Glenn Hughes voice straining, Marshalls at 11 and they transition to guitarist Joe Bonamassa coming in with a tasty little guitar lick, bringing the band back down a notch. It is such a sweet, melodic little line: one of those moments when the music seems to sigh.

It’s also indicative of the whole album. Bonamassa’s playing shines throughout, without ever dominating the disk. On Beggarman, Bonamossa offers a 30 second wah-wah laced Hendrix-style introduction, yet, Beggarman is by no means a guitarists vehicle. It is more Black Dog style lick/vocal/lick/vocal song than a Hendrix one, although the comparison is hardly adequate.

Black Country Communion is listed as a “supergroup,” a group made up of musicians that were stars before the formation of the band. Joe Bonamassa on guitar, Glenn Hughes on bass and vocals, Jason Bonham on drums and Derek Sherinian on keyboards. Each has an impressive pedigree, each shines in their own way on the debut, self titled, album. The rhythm section carry song after song with pounding regularity. Derek Sherinian offers subtle touches of 70’s era keyboards, adding ambiance and feel, never taking over. And Joe Bonamassa is brilliant, his licks imaginative without overplaying.

Black Country Communion wears their influences on their sleeve, too often and too obviously to be accidental. Song of Yesterday, sounds like Bad Company (the song), with Glenn Hughes doing an admirable Paul Rogers. Black Country (again, the song) is all Iron Maiden, Sista Jane runs like an AC/DC song, until it is Won’t Get Fooled Again: Sherinian riding the keyboards, Bonham sounding more like Kenny Jones than Kieth Moon. There is a hint of The Doors, a bit of Heartbreaker, Jaime’s Cryin, even a touch of King Crimson. While Stand sounds too close to Deep Purple’s Space Truckin’, Down Again may be the best Deep Purple song Glenn Hughes ever recorded.

None of this is too suggest any of the music sounds like it is ripped off. Rather it is a chord here, a lick there, a vocal performance or keyboard section that brings influence to mind. The songs themselves are wholly original.

At 73 minutes long, it would be my normal MO to complain that Black Country Communion is too long, anything over standard LP length of 45 minutes being an extravagance. But for the life of me, I can’t suggest anything to cut. Everything seems to work and have a place, every song is good enough, every performance high enough quality. Other than the six minute jam, which some fans will love, at the end of Too Late for The Sun there’s nothing here to cut.

I don’t give stars when I review an album, but if I did I this would be the first album where I would be tempted to give five stars. If not for that six minute, album ending jam, perhaps Stand and Medussa, (two songs that, while still good, are the albums weaker moments) it would be a five star album.

As it is, Black Country Communion is the best post-Zeppelin work of anyone associated with Led Zeppelin.



Black Country Communion

1. Black Country 3:15
2. One Last Soul 3:52
3. The Great Divide 4:45
4. Down Again 5:45
5. Beggarman 4:51
6. Song of Yesterday 8:33
7. No Time 4:18
8. Medusa 6:56
9. The Revolution in Me 4:59
10. Stand (At The Burning Tree) 7:01
11. Sista Jane 6:54
12. Too Late For the Sun 11:21

Release date: Sept 21, 2010